


Come, Come, Kitty, Kitty

by xdefenestrationx



Series: Hello Kitty [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Attempted Sexual Assault, Depression, Determination (Undertale), F/F, F/M, Failed Suicide Attempt, Female Chara, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, I don't wanna spoil, I'm not gonna lie, I'm so sorry if this sucks, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Kindness, Nightmares, No Smut, Nonbinary Frisk (Undertale), Not a reader insert, Olga barely knows anything about the real world, Olga is not Chara, Olga is not Frisk, Olga was an experiment, Olga's a fucking neko, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus (Undertale) Knows More Than He Lets On, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Suicidal Themes, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Triggers, True Pacifist, basically just them living and trying to get out of the underground, but a bit of a crybaby, but that's not a big focus either, but they're not endgame whoops, everyone wants sans to be happy, fuck outta here with that bullshit, green soul - Freeform, he's still a cinnamon roll though, here I fucking go, i just love that headcanon, i just wanna be happy, i'm honestly just writing this for myself and a friend, it's not a very big focus, just bonding, just fluff, let me be happy pls, mentions of eating disorders, not a big focus either, not a soulmate au though, not for this fic at least, oc's name is Olga, only one though, papyrus swears, she and sans are depressed af, she's an angel honestly, she's been through some shit lmao, she's not even human anymore yeet, there honestly isn't even much romance in this, there's several moments between flowey and Olga, they are children - Freeform, this fic is gonna be trash, you don't have to read it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-13 11:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16017248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xdefenestrationx/pseuds/xdefenestrationx
Summary: Olga falls down Mount Ebbott in an attempt to take her life after her experiences above ground take a toll on her. She survives, and starts a new life in the Underground with two skeletons that take her in. However, her memories follow her like a plague, and she finds herself struggling to help everyone while keeping her own mental health in check. But with the help of the monsters and a human child, Olga slowly learns to trust again, and works together with them to set them all free from the confines of the Underground.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic I've made with an OC and not a reader-insert, heh, so it's probably gonna suck ass. I am honestly not making this for fame, just for myself and a friend, even though I don't even know if they'll enjoy it or not. Either way, if you're reading this, please be aware that this fic contains SUICIDAL, DEPRESSED, AND SELF-HARMING THEMES, ALONG WITH ANXIETY (ATTACKS) AND ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT ALSO CONTAINS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TORTURE, SO GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE WILL BE INCLUDED. The suicidal and self-harming aspects are mostly only focused on in the beginning of the story, and from then on, I just talk about the depression that my OC and Sans go through. There won't be too many anxiety attacks, although there will probably be a few. I mention an eating disorder once or twice. I may also include some flashbacks of sexual assault (but not rape). Please read at your own risk.
> 
> The title of this series/work is part of the lyrics to the song "Hello Kitty" by Avril Lavigne.
> 
> With that established, let's begin the story!

Heart racing, head pounding, legs shaking. She wouldn't stop running. No, she _couldn't_ stop running. They'd catch her. She had to go on. She had to persevere.

 

Easier said than done, though. The shrubbery tore at her bare shins, creating new cuts with each stride she took. Tiny beads of crimson rose to the surface, eventually pushed down her leg by the leaves, creating smears and trickles of blood that tickled the senses. She could _smell_ it. And she didn't even need to. No matter how hard she tried, that smell would be ingrained forever into her mind. Copper. She would have gagged if she hadn't been running for her life. The scratches wouldn't stop coming, but the pain was nothing compared to what she would experience if she stopped. The thought sent another adrenaline rush through her body, and she found herself running even faster than before, even though it felt like her lungs would collapse on themselves. Everything slowly became numb, and a funny feeling rushed over her eardrums, like she dunked her head underwater. Time seemed to slow. She took one deep breath and leaned her body forward, pumping her arms faster than she ever had before. The fuzzy feeling in her ears was washed away, and she was filled with DETERMINATION. 

 

Left, right, right, left, left, right, left. The sounds of harsh footsteps pounding on grass and kicking up dirt behind her were slowly starting to recede in volume. Or it could just be that the sound of her heavy panting was the only thing invading her ears, and she couldn't hear anything else. Either way, her pace began slowing. Sweat trickled down her head like condensation on a cold glass of water, and her body was slowly starting to lose its feeling and grip on reality. Meanwhile, her head was starting to pound. Every heavy footstep deafened her more and more, and the long hair that whipped her neck was another weight added to her head. Nevertheless, she persevered.

 

* * *

 

 The terrain began to incline upwards, and the rocks and soil grew ever so slightly harder as the sun finally dipped down below the horizon. She blinked slowly as her vision grew darker and brighter, darker and brighter, for several minutes before finally settling with a gray and black, yet clear, view of the landscape before her. Normally, she would be breath-taken - it had been years since saw such beauty in nature, after all -, but the echos of pain in her muscles and mental exhaustion weighed down on her like boulders. She had lost her pursuers a long time ago, and had been walking at a sluggish pace for- an hour? The sun was setting when she had finally decided to give her body a quick break by hiding behind a tree, and then she picked herself back up and continued trudging on the path only she could see.

 

She had had time to think. It was undoubtedly hard to do so with all the scratches that adorned her skin, but there wasn't much she could do. It was thanks to this thinking that she had been able to conclude where she was headed. She had been going in the direction of the infamous Mount Ebott. The mountain had built up quite the reputation, what with all the children that had fallen into a giant hole at its peak. This didn't alarm her as much as it should have. She knew that only worse things awaited her if she turned back now. It would be easy to get lost, and although she knew her body had an adept sense of navigation, she had no doubts that nobody would have half the mind to help her if she found civilization again. She couldn't really complain, though. She knew she wasn't a sight for sore eyes. Not anymore. 

 

And so, she hiked up the mountain, barefoot, but numb to the scratches being torn open on the soles of her feet. Oh, how her legs ached. Her arms, her head. Everything. And at the same time, nothing. It was an overwhelming sensation of nothingness, like several blankets were being thrown upon her ability to feel. It didn't matter much anymore, though. It would all be over soon. She just had to make it to the top. It couldn't be that far away at this point.

 

She had been free for a little longer than an hour, and she had nowhere to go. No living relatives would take her in, since there were barely any of them left. The ones that lived close by would most likely take her right back to where she came from. She had come too far to go back. And she had made her decision. Her one goal back at the facility had been to either escape or die. She had been pleading for death for four and a half years, and been stuck at the facility for another three and a half. Now that she was free to do whatever she wanted, there was nothing she wanted more than release. After all, she had nowhere to go. But nowhere was better than back there.

 

Her foot landed on a loose piece of terrain, and before she knew it, she was slipping down. She snapped out of her daze and quickly reached out to grab whatever she could. Her right hand grazed something rough, and she grabbed it without hesitation. Turns out it was a stray root, about a foot in length. Her fingers were curled so tightly around it that her knuckles had paled to a snow white, but the root stayed still, supporting her weight. She knew not to abuse the strength of the root, it wouldn't hold forever. She quickly searched for a stable footing before letting go and getting back on track. The hole was close.

 

Another four minutes on the path, and she came across the hole. It was a gaping abyss that surely held promise, except she didn't know what for. Her imminent death, most likely. But it wouldn't come yet. She had one more thing to do. Patting away some of the rocks and gravel around the hole, she took a seat at the edge with her back to the hole and looked up.

 

Stars were finally beginning to poke their heads out of the thick canvas of the night sky, illuminating the ground below with an almost iridescent shimmer. She had never realized there were so many. It was as if someone had gone and thrown glitter all over the sky. That stuff stuck on forever... She smiled, nevertheless, and reached out towards the sky with one hand, her fingers outstretched and pulling taut the skin of her palm. She reached and reached, and it was never enough. A mirthless laughter escaped her involuntarily, and she hesitated a moment before setting her arm back down. Nostalgia seeped slowly but surely into her veins, painting over her smile with a crestfallen expression once more. She sat there for a while, letting her thoughts drift.

 

No home. No hope. No point. Without looking up, she raised a hand again, this time to her head. Her fingers ran through the tangles in her hair and bangs. Most of her hair had lost its previous silkiness, and had been reduced to a sad mop that sat atop her head for... aesthetic? Her fingers crept further, sliding over fur. The difference was certainly noticeable, but the fur, much like her hair, was rough. Some of it stuck together and dried, making her cringe as she futilely used her fingernails to comb through everything. Her hand began falling down, scraping her ear, gliding across her jawbone, and grazing her clavicle before falling down somberly. Everything was a constant reminder from which she could never escape. It taunted and teased, screaming undesirable truths into her ears which only she could hear.

 

Fighting back tears, she pulled her knees to her chest and felt her rear disconnect slightly with the earth. Her eyes traveled downward to see her furry appendage lying still on her left side. She blinked slowly and look back in front of her, but not really. She fell into a haze from which she couldn't feel her nails digging into her arms. The cuts burned and screamed, but it was nothing compared to the words that were ushered through her brain over and over again. No point, no point, no point, _no point_ , there was no _point_. Die or return. Die or return. Return? She scooted herself away from the edge and bolted up to a standing position, taking a step down the mountain.

 

_**No.** _

 

She'd die first.

 

And with that thought raging in her mind like a tidal wave, she turned with a determined gaze and stepped towards the hole. She took one more step...

 

And then she fell.

 

* * *

 

 Her fingers twitched, signalling that her body was waking up. Once she realized it, her body stirred and shifted its position, all without her opening her eyes. The softness underneath her head and body provided a comfort she had almost forgotten, given how long ago it was since she felt it. So, she was back home... finally. Her lips curved upwards, but fell once a cold breeze passed along her legs and arms, raising goosebumps. Her nightgown only went down to her knees, after all, and the thin material didn't do much to provide heat, so her body curled into itself in an attempt to conserve warmth. _Mom must have opened the window last night..._ Her arm crept out behind her, feeling for her sheets. Instead, however, her fingers came in contact with soft petal that only slightly caved at her touch. _Wait a second..._ She shot up, eyes wide and alert. She wasn't at home. She wasn't at home at all. Underneath her was a bed of flowers that resembled buttercups, all bunched together so tightly and strongly that they had cushioned her head when she fell. But that meant... She craned her head upwards to see stone that reached up, up, up to a gaping hole. The hole that she had fallen through. Sun poured down her face through it, heating her cheeks and forehead. Her throat tightened, and the backs of her eyes began to burn. Her legs pulled themselves towards her and she wrapped her arms around herself to prepare for the oncoming panic attack. She had survived the fall, and there was no way she could climb out. She would starve to death here. She was mostly likely underground, no way there was anybody here... The last person who had fallen down must have died already. She whimpered, pulling her legs closer. Tears finally began to blur her vision, and she tried wiping them away by rubbing her eyes on the silk of her gown. Her vision was cleared just a bit, even though the edges of her eyes were wet, but now she could see that there was a tunnel to the side that led to an archway. A tear fell gracefully down her right eye, and she wiped it away, then came up to a stand. She was pushing away her panic attack with hope, but if that hope was false, then she would definitely break down. 

 

Step by step, she slowly walked down the tunnel to reduce the pain in her legs, which were covered in bruises and cuts that had scabbed over. Her knees were scraped and covered in grass blood, and her soles had been cut open several times, making her sway as she walked. As she walked in silence - aside from the sound of her bare feet tapping against stone and her soft yet watery breathing - her dead eyes shifted from side to side, checking her surroundings. The stone walls had moss growing in cracks and edges, giving off the aesthetic of nature instead of a medieval stone castle. That almost made her laugh. Where was her prince now? He must not have come, since there was no physical dragon. Not anymore. No, the dragon had manifested in her mind, eating away at her coherent and rational thoughts.

 

When she reached the archway, her fingers came out to trail along the intricate designs carved into it. She couldn't even tell what the structure was made of. Her middle finger slid along, following loops and spirals, occasionally breaking away from the pattern when the lines grew too tight. Eventually, she had enough, and pulled her hand away to see that there was surprisingly no dust or residue on her fingertips. Did that mean someone really was alive? Her heart swirling with faith, she stepped through the arch and found another empty clearing. A light shone down in the center of the "room", where a small patch of grass grew, but she couldn't see where the light was coming from. _The fuck?_

 

She jumped when the sound of vines and roots weaving and breaking apart in the earth below sounded through her ears like a wave of euphoria, sending small shivers down her spine. A small part of the earth under the light split apart, and a buttercup, much like the ones she had fallen on, popped out, except t it was bigger and had a _face_.

 

"Listen, aren't you bored alre- Huh?"

 

Oh, thank _God_. So she _was_ dead! Her shoulders slumped in relief and her arms fell to their sides from their crossed position. A small light appeared in her eyes.

 

"You're not Frisk."

 

Her right eyebrow arched questioningly. Who was Frisk? "No..."

 

The flower narrowed its eyes suspiciously before coming to a conclusion. "Well, then, uh- oh! Right!" An inviting smile came across its face, and its voice raised to a higher pitch.

 

"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" it chirped.

 

She grinned again. "Hi, Flowey. Are you an angel?"

 

The flower reeled back in surprise."Wha-" Its confused face turned into one of amusement, and it laughed out loud, almost condescendingly. "No, you idio- silly! Ahahaha!"

 

So, apparently it wasn't an angel. She was growing more confused by the second. The flower's voice kept wavering between a flat and enthused pitch, and it had almost called her an idiot just then. Was it trying not to hurt her feelings, or was something else going on? 

 

"Well, then... what are you?"

 

The flower broke its laughing fit to stare back at her with a gaze that she couldn't read, but it didn't help to soothe her nerves. And the phrase Flowey followed it up with almost completely dismissed her question. "You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha?"

 

_I'm in Hell?!_

 

She was never very religious, so she didn't quite expect to make it to an afterlife, but Hell? She couldn't recall doing anything "sinful" in her- oh, right. Not believing in God was considered a sin, right? Welp... That'll do it.

 

"Golly, you must be so confused!"

 

She said nothing, but motioned for Flowey to continue with a small nod of her head.

 

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!"

 

A crooked smile came across her lips as she tried to decipher any ill intent behind the phrase.

 

"I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!"

 

A strange hum reverberated around her ribs and sternum as something felt like it was phasing through her ribs. She shuddered and gasped as a hot and cold sensation trailed down her spine and tingled the ends of her sternum. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but she'd rather it not be there. She looked down, and saw a dull green light beginning to poke through her chest. She quickly realized what was happening with a gasp and slapped her hands onto her chest. "N-No! Wait!" However, Flowey seemed to ignore her and continued to summon the small heart out of her body, making it phase through her hands like a ghost. "Stop! P-Please!"

 

The heart fully floated into view, the color of dried seaweed, and barely glowing. Cracks of all shapes and sizes ran across it, the most noticeable one being a wide, gaping crack that started at the very center in the top where the heart curved together and running halfway through it. On the bottom right side, the heart had a sickly gray and dry blemish that eroded the heart. Pieces of the gray matter were crackling and splitting off like dead skin. It looked like it was wilting away.

 

A low hiss of disgust came through Flowey's... fangs, and the stem of its body coiled back like it was burned. "W-What is-"

 

She gulped, her hands still on her rapidly rising and falling chest. "My soul," she cut Flowey off. "The very culmination of my being... but... how- Am I not dead?"

 

Flowey blinked once, twice, and shook its head vigorously. "No, stupid! How could you- oh." Flowey's features softened, its previous harsh look gone. "Oh, I see what's happening here." A smile passed onto its face as it looked back at her soul and then at her again. The smile grew sinister. "Oh, this is going to be _fun_."

 

Her lip trembled, and she took a step back as Flowey grew innocent again, spouting lines so clearly that it was as if it had said them many, many times before. "Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course!" Just like that, Flowey looked terrifying again. "You want some LOVE, don't you? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

 

Five spinning white bullets appeared behind Flowey's form. "Down here, LOVE is shared through... little white... 'friendliness pellets'."

 

Really? They didn't look so friendly.

 

"Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!"

 

The "pellets" began to spin towards her, and she fell backwards onto her bottom, the hair on her neck standing up straight. Should she? If it would help her soul, she'd do it without hesitation, but there really wasn't any guarantee as to how trustworthy a flower she just met was.

 

The pellets flew over her head and dissipated into thin air, which was now turning thick with tension as Flowey grew ever more serious. "Hey, buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"

 

The pellets appeared again, flying towards her.

 

Hey, it was just a flower, right?

 

This time, she let the pellets collide with her body, and immediately, a wave of pain racked her body. She grit her teeth and threw her head back. "Ah!"

 

Flowey burst out into laughter. "Ahahahahahaha! You really ARE an idiot!" Flowey wiped away a tear with its leaf. "But such stupidity was expected... from someone who _wants_ to die!" The flower fell into a laughing fit again.

 

She glanced up at the plant from her position on the ground, tears of pain evident in her eyes. So she really couldn't trust anybody...

 

Once Flowey's laughing died down, it picked up speaking again. "A soul like yours wouldn't be of much use to me. In fact, I doubt it's even human anymore," Flowey sneered, and she felt all the more aware of her extra parts as the heat of humiliation rose to her cheeks.

 

"But I'll take what I can get. One more hit and you're done. After all, it's KILL or BE KI- huh?"

 

She saw Flowey's eyes dart down to something she couldn't see, but she knew what it was looking at. Her health bar.

 

 _379/500 HP_.

 

"J-Just what are you, you freak?!" 

 

She shut her eyes tight. "I-I don't kn-know, I just-"

 

A ring of the white pellets appeared one by one around her, slowly closing in while spinning in a circle. "P-Please, I don't mean you any harm, I-"

 

"Just shut up already!"

 

The ring grew closer and closer, but she let her body relax. This was what she wanted, right? Right?

 

The impact never came. Instead, the roar of flames filled her ears, and her eyes fluttered open to see balls of fire hit Flowey head on, sending him flying. She would have giggled a bit at the facial expression Flowey made, but she was too preoccupied with recovering from a near-death experience.

 

Into her view came a tall goat furry wearing a royal purple dress. The goat was covered in white fur, and had dark eyes filled with nothing but kindness, unlike Flowey's. There was small horns on the top of the goat's head, along with long, fluffy ears, and what looked like small fangs. The goat definitely had feminine features, although she didn't want to know how she could tell. "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth," she spoke. Yep, definitely female. The voice was brimming with a motherly concern, one that she desired for so long. "Ah, do not be afraid, my child." Did she look afraid? Oh right, Flowey. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins."

 

Toriel had an interesting name, but what did she expect? This was a talking, sentient goat that probably lived Underground her whole life. A unique name wasn't anything noteworthy compared to what she had just experienced.

 

"I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. Not long ago, a... human, just like yourself, had fallen down here, and just like you, they had almost fallen to the hands of that heinous flower."

 

Her face lit up. So another human had recently fallen down! Were they dead? Were they alive? Did they know how to get out of here? Questions flew through her mind in a disorganized manner so much that she wasn't able to think straight.

 

"Come! I will guide you through the catacombs." Toriel held out a huge, yet soft hand for her to take. Once she did, she was gently pulled up to her feet, and her arm was being held so she wouldn't fall. The close contact made her brain spiral into panic, but she pushed it down. "Thank you..."

 

Her soul floated back into her chest, and she let her head fall a little from exhaustion.

 

"This way," Toriel ushered, helping her walk along. Toriel was patient, and understandingly matched the pace she was comfortable with. The two walked in silence a while, letting the events of what had just unraveled sink in. She fell down a giant hole, was almost killed by a talking flower, and was now being walked to Goat Mom's home. What a day.

 

Toriel noticed the rising tension and decided to throw in an icebreaker. "So, what is your name, my child?"

 

"My name? Oh... my name is Olga."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel takes Olga under her wing and treats her with more kindness in one day than she has been shown in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnnNnNnNNNNNGGGGGG thank you so much for the hits and kudos! Even if there isn't much, I still appreciate each and every one of them! As I said before, this is more for me than for the public, but I still enjoy watching the number of kudos go up! I hope all of you guys are having a good week so far!

It had taken a couple of minutes for the pain in Olga's legs to wear off enough for her to walk without Toriel's aid. Although the lovely goat lady had offered further assistance, Olga politely declined it, stating that she had helped enough. The girl was quick to deny touch, and Toriel felt her stiffen up like a board when her arm was wrapped around her neck. Toriel, however, decided not to question it.

 

So that led to where they were now - walking through several rooms and tunnels of the Underground, reading riddles and signs to help them solve puzzles. Well, help Olga. It seemed that Toriel knew the layout of the Ruins like the back of her hand. Paw?

 

The two exchanged small talk as Olga racked her brain, making her space out often from multitasking. The serious questions hadn't come up yet. So far, it was lighthearted queries like, "What foods do you almost enjoy?" (Toriel seemed to be very fond of snails), and the typical, "What's your favorite color?" It wasn't until, "What's your favorite flower?" came up that the conversation was steered in a new direction. Toriel's answer had been quite vague ("Golden Flowers" - were those the buttercups? Or something entirely different?), while Olga's had been sunflowers, although she loved all flowers, like lavender and jasmine. However, she took charge at that moment.

 

"That flower that attacked me... Flowey... what do you know about it?" Olga's voice had dropped to a quieter register as she pulled a lever, but Toriel had no trouble hearing her. She sighed, lowering her head as the duo walked through a now opened doorway.

 

"He's quite the trouble, that one." So it was a he, not an it. Flowey's voice did sound... masculine, for a flower, but Olga hadn't known that flowers had... genders. And it seemed wrong to assume. 

 

"He seems to greet and attack every human that's fallen into the Underground. In fact, he attacked the human that had fallen in before you."

 

Olga's topic of discussion made a bee-line for the opportunity that had been presented before her. "Tell me about this human... how are they doing?"

 

Toriel sighed once more, but Olga could make out the markings of a fond smile on her face. "Frisk... a human child, maybe half your age, with such a vibrant red soul that it illuminates everything around it. An despite their core trait being determination, they're filled with astounding kindness."

 

Olga blinked, her mind lingering on the foreign vocabulary. Core trait? "So how are they now?"

 

Toriel shook her head. "I do not know."

 

Olga quirked an eyebrow, feeling panic bubbling up in her chest. "What do you mean?"

 

"... I had taken care of Frisk when they had first fallen down. I healed them after their encounter with Flowey, gave them a place to stay in one of the rooms in my home. They stayed with me for a while, but their determination had prevented from staying with me for too long. They had convinced me to let them go, out of the Ruins, to continue on the path laid out before them. I've gotten a few calls from them, but I couldn't pick up due to... private reasons."

 

Empathy rang clear on Olga's face as she listened to Toriel's choked voice speak so passionately, so lovingly of the child that wasn't even hers. She could only imagine how terrible it felt not knowing whether the person you cared for most was safe or not, and not being able to contact them. "That's... I'm so sorry, Toriel."

 

Toriel dabbed at her eyes with the fur of her paw, and it came back slightly slicked down, damp with her unshed tears. "Don't be, my child. I have faith in them. I believe they are strong enough to make it through the Underground. They must be."

 

Olga was aware that she was probably lacking in the knowledge of what determination was and how it was a reoccurring theme throughout the time she spent with the goat, but she didn't need to as she looked into the other female's eyes. The determination she spoke of was a thick, impenetrable sheen on her orbs. Resolute. Steadfast. Nothing could change her mind that Frisk was safe and sound.

 

A tiny grin etched its way onto Olga's face, and she nodded. "You're right. I believe you." She looked away for a second, pondering. "But, if there's any way at all that you know of to help me find them, I would be so immensely grateful. I-" Olga took a step forward, but her foot twisted and she fell forward, right into the warm hold of Toriel, who smiled down at her patiently. "All in good time, my child. But for now, you must regain your strength. You are in no shape to wander the Underground on your own to find Frisk."

 

As much as she hated to admit it, Toriel was right. Olga was almost useless right now. Sure, she could walk, so she wasn't quite a liability, but she would stand no chance in a battle against another monster. "Mmnh..." Olga held onto Toriel's shoulder to stabilize herself, although she hated herself for it. The moment she could stand, she slightly pushed herself off Toriel to create distance between them. She waved her foot around, feeling a few satisfying pops; it didn't hurt that bad. She hadn't twisted her ankle or anything, her placement had just been off.

 

The two set off again, and Olga felt more at ease. With a newfound comfort, she looked at Toriel and asked, "So what can you tell me about... your kind? From the sound of it, you're aren't the only non-human creature down here."

 

Toriel gave her an affirmative nod. "Indeed... I am far from the only monster down here."

 

Olga could feel her brows knit together in confusion and shock. Monster? Toriel was anything but. This woman was one of the sweetest, purest souls Olga ever knew. How could she be a monster? If anyone was a monster, Flowey was much closer to having that title.

 

"Somewhere around a thousand years ago... human and monsterkind walked the earth together. However, they did not do an exceptional job of living in harmony, and a war broke out. Both races fought hard, but the humans reigned victorious, and almost all monsters were sealed underground by a magical spell cast by mages. They set up a giant barrier, which could only be broken with the power of seven human souls."

 

Olga listened attentively, drinking in the knowledge from a straw of open-mindedness. She believed every single word. She had no reason not to, after all. Toriel had been nothing but kind to her, and if monsters were real, then mages and magical spells and barriers could probably exist as well.

 

"So how are you going about breaking the barrier?"

 

When Toriel remained silent, Olga quickly added, "You don't have to answer. I understand if there are some things you don't want to talk about, and I won't force you to. You can tell me about it whenever you're comfortable, but you don't ever have to if you don't feel like it. It's just that I'm curious as to... what awaits me."

 

Toriel's jaw slowly fell from shock at what Olga said. The sheer kindness that was emitting from Olga stirred her soul, but despite the unexpected hum in her chest, she shook her head. "Thank you, my dear, it's just..." Toriel trailed off for a second, then sighed. "Right now, we should focus on getting you back home where you can rest and heal up. Then, I'll tell you what you need to know."

 

Olga tilted her head, albeit not in confusion. "If you're sure..." her eyes flickered away and back. "Thank you, Toriel. But again, remember that you don't have to talk about anything you're uncomfortable with. I wouldn't do that to you."

 

This time, Toriel reared her head back and laughed, her gentle voice slightly carrying throughout the Ruins. "Ah, thank you, my child. But it is quite alright." The woman reached out her paw to ruffle Olga's curls as an act of affection, but the girl flinched away harshly, her eyes wide and shining with something akin to fear. Toriel realized touching was not the best option, and pulled her paw back, opting to look from a distance instead. There was frizz that had gotten way out of control on Olga's head, and tangles that would only come undone from an extremely patient hand, or never at all. Her hair stuck in all directions, and Toriel was reminded of Frisk for a moment.

 

Olga was not so subtly looking away from Toriel's gaze, ashamed of how she reacted to the slightest touch or potential of it. What if she had hurt Toriel's feelings by being so quick to maintain distance?

 

Toriel sensed Olga's discomfort and broke her train of thought with a clearing of her throat. "I suppose we can resume walking. Let us head off."

 

Olga smiled apologetically and gratefully, following the big monster into another room. Surprisingly, there was no riddles, or puzzles, or levers or buttons. Only a dummy across from the doorway.

 

"Now, my child, I know you are injured, but if you feel up to the task, I would like you to participate in a fight with the dummy."

 

Olga squinted her eyes at the dummy to find anything extraordinary about it. Nothing came to mind. "Um... okay...?"

 

Seeming satisfied with the answer, Toriel nodded. "Alright then. When you're ready, approach the dummy and engage in a conversation. This will be practice for when you're on your own and in a fight with a monster. For reasons I will explain later, monsters will try to attack you, and it is important that you resolve the conflicts peacefully."

 

Olga could connect with that. It seemed simple enough. She nodded, and took a step towards the dummy, clutching her left arm. The pull and reverberations in her chest were back, and her soul was pulled back into view. It floated there, unchanged, and still wilting away into nothingness. Olga didn't look back to see if Toriel was watching, and decided to focus on the dummy. In front of her lay four options that she could... sense, almost with a third eye of sorts. There was FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, and MERCY. Giving her chin a thoughtful stroke, Olga selected ACT, and then *Check. The dummy's stats were displayed to her third eye - ATK 0, DEF 0.

 

Olga frowned, but quickly smiled at the dummy to cover it up. "So... is there any name you prefer I call you? It feels a little weird to refer to you as just "Dummy". Almost like it's an insult, since a dummy is considered someone stupid. Not that you're stupid..."

 

The dummy said nothing. It didn't seem much for conversation. There was a pause, and Olga felt a few small clicks in her soul before it returned into her chest. She rubbed her fingers over her sternum and looked at Toriel, who stood there with a proud smile. "Well done, my child." Olga scratched her cheek, embarrassed, and tagged along again to follow Toriel through the Ruins. After that, it was puzzles again. While they were at it, Toriel warded off all monsters except for one Froggit to see how Olga would react to it. As expected, she treated it with kindness, and spared it after giving it a few compliments in regards to how brave it was for making it through hard times in the Ruins.

 

Only a few minutes later, they arrived at the dark, barren tree that marked Toriel's humble abode and made their way inside. Something that caught Olga's eye was that Toriel's home wasn't anything... outstanding. It was cute and inviting, but Toriel herself seemed like royalty, and like someone deserving of a castle. But the house wasn't extravagant, and seemed to fit right in with the subtle beauty of the Ruins. Olga took a deep breath and followed Toriel inside.

 

"Welcome to my home."

 

It wasn't that grande inside, either; it was more of a large cottage than a castle, with a stairway leading down to a basement, a long hallway filled with rooms, a spacey living room, and a kitchen.

 

Olga almost collapsed the moment she walked inside. But still, her knees, despite how much they were shaking, moved forward, eager to explore the new area. "Toriel, your house is... so... breathtaking."

 

That probably wasn't the word to use. At least Toriel didn't seem angry about it.

 

"Thank you, my child. Here, come with me."

 

Toriel took a right and led Olga to the long hallway she noticed before, and opened the first door on the left with a twist of the knob. The door clicked and opened silently, although it looked old and creaky. Olga took a step inside and noted that there wasn't really a light switch. Instead, there was two lamps in the room that surprisingly lit the room well. There were no windows, but that wasn't surprising, given their location. There was no way to let sunlight in, although the view could have been nice.

 

"This is where you will be staying for the time being, my child. Make yourself at home here."

 

Olga nodded with a grateful upturn of the lips and looked around a little more, taking in her surroundings. There was a closet, dresser, nightstand, and a bed with stuffed animals pressed against the wall. _Cute._ Was this a child's room? Probably not the time to ask. "Thank you, Toriel. I appreciate this immensely. I don't know how to repay you."

 

Olga turned to see the woman chuckling gently into her palm. "There is no need for that, my child. Here, let us move on."

 

Olga closed the door on the way out and let Toriel lead her to another door, which was opened to reveal a dark bathroom. It did not contain a lamp like the previous room, but had a light switch connected to many light bulbs above the large mirror adjacent to the sink and counter. The girl couldn't help but wonder how well electricity was conducted underground; was the light of the lamp she saw before simply the effect of electors, or was magic involved to light it/enhance the brightness? Toriel flicked on the light; and thankfully, it wasn't blinding, although Olga cowered into herself slightly, the ears atop her head flattening themselves.

 

"I understand you must not be feeling your best as if right now, so feel free to take a bath or shower. Do you require help bathing?"

 

Being thrown into a state of shock by the consistent generosity, Olga shook her head. "N-No."

 

"Then I shall return shortly with a towel and fresh change of clothes," Toriel said kindly, leaving Olga speechless.

 

"I... I-... thank you. Thank you, Toriel." Olga looked up and gave a wide, genuine smile. It was a foreign feeling - the compression of cheeks and their warm glow. It wasn't every day that Olga had the chance to do this.

 

"Do not mention it. Now, go on, don't be shy." Toriel shut the door softly and Olga could hear her footfalls becoming quiet as she walked back the way they came. Just before leaving, Toriel had made no move to touch Olga, but it was evident that she wanted to and was trying to make Olga feel as safe and comfortable as possible. God, there was no end to the selfless acts of this woman.

 

Olga found a nearby comb and began working through the knots and tangles in her hair with the help of the mirror, whining through closed lips when the comb slid through them harshly with a ripping sound. At the halfway point, she turned on the faucet in the bathtub and closed the drain to let it fill up while she performed her routine. When her hair looked somewhat better, Olga shot the mirror a gloomy smile and took off her thin dress, using the bathroom before turning off the water and climbing in with a hiss of pain. _Shit!_

 

The water scratched and stung the numerous cuts on Olga's legs, creating a burning sensation. Still, she forced herself to sit down with grit teeth. She had to focus on something to distract herself from the pain. She looked around, her gaze falling on the toilet. Did monsters use toilets? What about Flowey? Did he use it too? Did he just shit wherever? Or did he even need to? Probably not. He's a fucking flower. But if flowers could reproduce and have seeds and have _babies_ , then what stopped them from taking a shit? Hypothetically. Don't quote her on that.

 

It had worked. By taking her mind off her injuries for a few minutes, Olga could relax in the water and begin to clean herself. Looking up above her, Olga noticed that there was two bottles of shampoo and conditioner standing next to a bottle of body wash. The shampoo and conditioner were almost half gone, but they had been recently used. _Frisk._

 

The scent was green apple. Not Olga's favorite, but good nevertheless. She sighed as she massaged her scalp with fingertips coated in shampoo, her body almost sobbing in relief. She hadn't taken a bath in a longer time than she'd like to admit. It had been all showers. 

 

Olga let the lather sit in her hair for a few minutes before washing it off with fresh water. Next came washing her body. Olga grimaces and sat up, running her hand down her scratched leg. Blood caked under her fingernails and came off her skin in gross, dark, solid clots. Some cuts opened up and began bleeding, but scabbed over again almost as quickly. With a sigh, Olga cleaned out her fingernails and began to rake them across her body to clean it, since there no loofah to be found. But that was to be expected - Toriel was a goat, and a loofah wasn't really all that needed for humans. And speaking of Toriel, a knock sounded on the door, alerting the mentioned female's presence. "Child?"

 

"Yes?" Olga called out, shifting in the water.

 

"I've brought your change of clothes. May I come in?"

 

"Uh-," Olga looked around, and moved her hair to the side to cover her upper half. "-Yes, but don't look!"

 

A soft chuckle came from behind the door. "Of course." Olga saw the knob turn and the door open to reveal Toriel with white and purple cloth in her arms, much like the colors of her dress. Her gaze was pointed downwards, and she came over to put down the lid of the toilet and place the clothes down on it. There wasn't much to worry about; since there a purple cover on it, which looked quite clean. Across the toilet was a rack on which the mother figure draped the towel. "Thank you, Toriel."

"Anytime," Toriel turned to leave and gently closed the door. Olga smiled after her and opened the drain, watching the water slowly spiral down into it. She stood up and turned on the shower, using it to wash the lather off her hair and head, and any residue off her body. Now that she was standing, she had a clear view of her body. Scars were scattered everywhere. Her hip bones, clavicles, some on her throat, ribs, back, navel, legs, and most of all, her arms. The scars on them were the most prominent, and faint, pink lines were traced all across them. Olga forced down the knot in her throat as she reached for the body wash.

 

Once finished, Olga stepped out with the smell of chamomile clinging to her skin and shook herself off a little before reaching for the towel on the rack. It was white and heavenly soft, and at the bottom, Olga could make out " _Dreemur_ " stitched into the cloth with purple threads. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while.  Humming quietly, Olga pat down her hair with it and moved on to her body. She discarded the towel onto the rack to dry and put on the undergarments provided for her. She would have to ask why Toriel had them later, because she doubted Frisk needed a bra. Olga then took the other clothes and unraveled them. Turns out it was one piece of clothing, and was a perfect replica of Toriel's dress, except smaller. Olga smiled again for the umpteenth time that day and threw it on, feeling instantly warmer. She gave the dress a twirl, watching it come up slightly from the air it caught.

 

Olga's mind was slightly clearer as she exited the bathroom, traces of a grin on her lips. She strolled back to the living room and found Toriel cuddled up in a chair next to the flaming fireplace, reading a book with a yellow cover. Upon hearing her footsteps, the goat looked up and smiled at Olga. "Ah, you're back. Did you find the dress to suit your tastes?"

 

Olga nodded. "Yes, they fit like a glove! Thank you so much...!"

 

Toriel was mildly surprised at the reaction, but grateful that everything turned out okay. She closed her book with a small * _thud_ * and stood up, placing it down on the chair. "Say, which do you prefer, butterscotch or cinnamon?"

 

Olga looked down in thought. It had been a while since she had either. "Um... I like both, but I think I like butterscotch more."

 

Toriel nodded. "I see. You like both. So, if you were to find cinnamon on your plate, you wouldn't turn your nose up to it?"

 

Olga immediately pictured a plate with a mound of cinnamon on it and cringed. "I mean... no, but I would appreciate it if it wasn't just a pile of cinnamon," she exhaled humorously, scratching the back of her head. Toriel chuckled at this and shook her head. "No, no, you needn't worry about that, child. Thank you for your honesty. And, by the way, you do not happen to have any allergies, do you?"

 

"Nope," Olga shifted her weight to her left foot.

 

"Ah, excellent. Thank you."

 

Olga smiled in response and watched Toriel trudge off to the kitchen. "Why don't you go explore the house while I prepare dinner for us?"

 

"O-Oh! Right, I will, thank you!" Olga stuttered, and turned to head back to the hallway.

 

"Just don't go downstairs!" Toriel's raised voice came from the kitchen.

 

"I won't!"

 

Olga walked past the stairway, sparing it a glance. Why did Toriel not want her to go down there? Was she hiding something? Either way, she didn't way to break the trust she and Toriel had created, so she kept the promise she made. Technically it wasn't a promise, but she was going to treat it like one. 

 

Olga crept into the second door on the left of the hallway, discovering it to be Toriel's room. The lamps were turned off, and the bed in the left corner was massive - much bigger than the other one in "her" room. An open journal lay on Toriel's desk, and even an idiot could tell it was Toriel's diary. Respecting Toriel's privacy, Olga took the cover of the page and began to close it before cathing a word within a circled passage. Bonely?

 

Olga engaged in an inner quarrel with herself before decidedly opening up the diary and reading the circled passage. _Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling BONELY._

 

Olga's expression softened considerably, and her attitude perked up a bit. Her eyes scanned the two pages that lay before her, discovering they were completely filled with jokes and puns. There were no page numbers, so Olga took note of the pages' position within the book and began turning back a few pages. Nothing personal was recorded. Only jokes.

 

_Why did the boy throw the clock out the window? He wanted to see how time flies._

 

Olga bit her lip. She was full-on smiling now. She inhaled and exhaled before moving on.

 

_What do you call a thieving alligator? A 'crookodile'._

 

That one was terrible. However, the corners of Olga's lips still trembled with suppressed laughter.

 

_How do you organize a space party? You 'planet'._

 

 _Shit!_ Olga hunched over and slapped her knee, biting her lip even harder. She released a shaky breath and shut her eyes tightly. Did Toriel come up with all of these herself?

 

After her laughing fit, Olga returned to the page the journal was originally opened to and left the room, making her way down the hall once more. The last door on the left of the hallway held a sign that said "Under Renovations". Olga didn't know if it was locked, but wasn't going to find out. She continued forward a few steps and came across a wide mirror.

 

Looking at her reflection, Olga came to the conclusion that she didn't look _too_ terrible. Sure, her skin was a sickly pale, and yes, her skin was dry. There were prominent, dark bags under her eyes, and the bones of her face stuck out a bit too much for comfort.

 

Okay, maybe she was ugly.

 

There was a few things Olga liked, though. One of those was her hair. It was still damp from the shower, and the curls that once graced it were much less accentuated. Her hair was instead rippled, curving up and down smoothly, especially on her bangs. It was thin, and tended to tangle easily, but somehow still maintained volume.

 

Another thing she liked was her eyes. They were bordered with long, dark eyelashes, and the color of the irises was... unique. Most of the time, Olga labeled her eyes as hazel, although it might not have technically been correct. Some people with hazel eyes had a brown color that surrounded the pupil and turned into a pretty green the closer it got to the outside of the iris. For Olga, it was vice versa. Around her pupils danced a nice shade of green that was encompassed by a bright shade of light brown. Her eyes weren't all that special, but she often got complimented on them as a child.

 

Olga turned back around to head to the living room; there was nothing else to explore, if you didn't count the last room in the hallway or the basement. The girl's feet carried her to the huge chair next to the fireplace, where the book that Toriel had been reading lay. Olga's eyes scanned the title ( _"1,000 Uses for Snails"_ ) before she picked it up and made herself comfortable on the chair. She only took up half the space of the seat, so she could shift around however she wanted. Olga opened up to the first page and began reading.

 

The book had been much more intriguing that she had anticipated. It consisted of more snail facts rather than uses, if she was honest, but Olga sat there for a full hour and half, completely enraptured by the world of snails. Her brain was fascinated by all the new things she was learning - snails didn't have backbones, some had both male and female reproductive organs, some could live up to 25 years, etc. She had gotten to "Snail Use" 846 (something about dyes) when an intoxicating, sweet aroma permeated the air of the living room. It was addicting, and Olga's stomach growled just as Toriel entered the living room from the kitchen, with a cute apron thrown on. "Dinner is ready, my child," she smiled. "It just needs a few moments to cool down."

 

"Dinner smells amazing, Toriel. Thank you, again." Olga shut the book with a wave of tiredness.

 

"It's not a problem. Come, why don't you help me set the table as thanks?" Toriel sauntered back into the kitchen, her gaze still on Olga. The mentioned girl grinned lightly and pushed herself off the chair, following after the furry woman. "Yeah, of course."

 

Toriel's smile widened, and she led Olga to the compact room from which the heavenly smell came. Its source was a plump, steaming pie, ready for consumption. The very sight of it made Olga's mouth water, and she fought the urge to jump on it and devour it all in a single sitting, but something told her that that wasn't the best way to make a good impression. The tall monster beside her opened a small cabinet, revealing a surprising array of silverware, and began handing the needed utensils to her.

 

The red orbs of Toriel came in contact with Olga's, and she said softly, "When we start eating, I'll tell you what you wish to know about the Underground."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olga and Toriel grow much closer than expected within hours of meeting each other - Toriel opens up about her past, and the two share a few touching moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is another filler chapter. I might have one or two more of these, and then our protagonist will leave the Ruins *^*.

While Olga was setting the table and placing forks and knives on opposite ends of the table, Toriel came in, a plate of pie in each of her hands. Olga's stomach gave out another low rumble, making her cheeks turn pink as Toriel laughed heartily. "You must be quite hungry."

 

Olga could only nod, as she was afraid her voice would crack out of embarrassment.

 

"Don't worry, Frisk was the same way when they arrived at my house. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

 

The rosy tint of Olga's cheeks began to fade, and her shoulders relaxed at the comforting edge to Toriel's tone. The two of them took their seats on the chairs at the table. They weren't as comfy as the big one by the fireplace, but still nice and relaxing. Olga sighed and scooted up to the table, separating a piece of pie with her fork and placing it on her tongue. Her chest flared, humming with a warm fire, and her taste buds practically sang in delight. The taste was so real, so strong, that tears sprung up in Olga's eyes and she placed her hand over her mouth, pushing away from the table.

 

Almost immediately, Toriel leaned over in concern. "Oh my... I didn't know you would dislike it this much. Here, let me-"

 

"N-No! It's... it's delicious, Toriel, I'm sorry. I just... it's been so long..." Olga's voice was a mere whisper, muffled by her hand. "The taste is amazing, I love it, I... I'm sorry."

 

Toriel's frown came up into a small grin. "Don't apologize, my child. Please, eat your fill. Tell me if you want more."

 

"R-Right. Thank you..."

 

Wiping the moisture away from her eyes, Olga resumed eating. She could feel Toriel's gaze on her, unwavering, but it didn't feel hostile, so she didn't stop.

 

Toriel had been watching Olga, or, more specifically, her health bar. Her capacity of HP was highly alarming, but she had only 1 LV. That must have meant there wasn't much reason to worry. Olga was probably just... one in a million. Unless something else had transpired while she was on the surface.

 

The girl's HP was climbing almost instantaneously with each bite, but Toriel's grin soon fell, leaving her to look on with wonder. Not noticing the curious gaze of the woman before her, Olga looked down and noticed most of her cuts had faded away. Her legs now simply had a tiny nick here and there, but had healed for the most part. "W-Whoa! What...? When-?"

 

"Monster magic," Toriel cut her off with a gentle look. "All monster food is either imbued with it or consists entirely of it, and it has a very powerful effect on humans. It can heal most wounds instantly." 

 

"That's fascinating!" Olga's tail came up, and she could see fur growing back in places where it had been damaged or fallen or torn off. It was beginning to look more beautiful than it ever had, with soft, voluminous fur, and a unique sleek. Its light brown color contrasted the darkness of her hair, and it was finished off with a cute, white tip.

 

Olga's hand came up to feel her second pair of ears. Just like her tail, they had become much softer, and were much more pleasant to feel. Olga sighed dreamily, too engrossed by the changes of her body to notice what had stayed the same. However, Toriel was careful to not let anything escape her sight. The scars that littered Olga's arms had only slightly faded, and still remained as a distinguished feature. Not only that, but the HP bar was raising some concern.

 

_499/500 HP._

 

It refused to go higher. It simply stayed the same, as if to purposefully taunt Toriel. She would have to keep an eye on it.

 

Olga finished off her piece of pie fairly quickly, and even asked for another, which Toriel happily gave to her. And yet, her HP remained the same all throughout dinner. Olga was about a fourth of the way through her pie when Toriel spoke up. "So... what do you wish to know about us monsters?"

 

Olga choked a little, caught off guard by the sudden question. She had completely forgotten that they were supposed to have a meaningful conversation. "Right, um... as much as possible? How about you start at the beginning? Like, how you guys came to be, or how you got trapped down here."

 

Toriel placed her index finger and thumb (Olga wasn't going to question it) on her chin, rubbing it contemplatively. "Let's see... well, as I said before, there was a war between humans and monsters, and the monsters were sealed undderground by a barrier that could only be broken with the power of seven human souls."

 

"Right," Olga nodded affirmatively, trying not to spit crumbs out onto the table.

 

"Well... the Underground was divided up between several different regions of different climates, which the King of All Monsters named the Ruins, in which we currently reside, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, the Core, and the Capital."

 

...

 

The King of All Monsters wasn't very bright, was he?

 

Olga's hands flew to her face, and she started to internally chastise herself for having such a rude thought. She didn't know the King, and had no right to make such assumptions simply from the names he gave places. In fact, some of they were pretty unique, and Waterfall sounded pretty.

 

"Are you alright?" Toriel broke her train of thought with a concerned smile.

 

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, continue..." Olga hesitantly removed her hands from her face and placed them in her lap.

 

Toriel nodded. "As I was saying, the Underground was divided up, and the monsters lived wherever they pleased. Due to their compassionate natures, there weren't many fights or even arguments, for that matter. However, not everyone chose to act upon them..."

 

Olga remained silent as Toriel drummed her furry fingers on the wood of the table before continuing. "Asgore... the King... and I... had a child. Asriel. He was one of the sweetest things to ever grace the Earth. If only..."

 

A sheet of liquid covered Toriel's eyes, and she mimicked Olga's previous movement by raising a hand to her mouth. The moment she hunched over herself, Olga was out of her seat, and had a hand placed on her shoulder. "It's okay... take your time." Olga remained as far from Toriel as she could, still driven by fear, but clearly wanted to. Her hand was rubbing circles on Toriel's shoulder while she ushered words of comfort, with no way of knowing if they were helping. But it seemed they did, because the small sobs that Toriel released every once in a while eventually receded into nothing more than a whimper. Olga quickly fetched a napkin from the kitchen and handed it to the heartbroken woman in the chair. "Thank you, my child," Toriel dabbed at her waterline. "You helped more than you know. Besides, there's nothing we can do now. It's all in the past."

 

Olga's frown deepened, and her brows knit together. "That doesn't make it any less painful."

 

Toriel laughed - a dry, humorless laugh, but still a laugh - and set down the damp napkin on the table. "Right you are. Say, for someone your age, you're quite wise." 

 

Olga's head lowered in embarrassment again. "Ah, I'm... actually considered a legal adult on the Surface. I turned eighteen... what day is it?"

 

"August 31st, dear," Toriel blinked slowly.

 

"Two days ago," Olga concluded, surprising Toriel.

 

"O-Oh! Oh, my goodness, I had no idea! Oh my, and I'm dressed in my regular clothing, and all I baked was pie-"

 

"Toriel, stop, stop!" Olga reached out and grabbed Toriel's frantic paws with a firm yet gentle grip. "I don't need any of that. Really, I-I'm used to not having anything... special for my birthday." The girl swallowed a small bit of her saliva because her throat had gone dry. "Your pie was enough. And everything you did to help me is honestly the best birthday present I could ever ask for," Olga lowered Toriel's hands and beamed up at her, albeit a bit brokenly. Toriel was hesitant for a few seconds, but let the panic slowly fall off her face. "If you're sure..."

 

"I am. Do you want to continue your story? It's okay if we take a break."

 

"No, no, I'm good to go, thank you. I appreciate your help. I'm better now. Here, take a seat," Toriel pulled out the chair on the side of the table for Olga to sit on. Once she did, Toriel clasped her large hands together. "As I was saying, I had a child named Asriel. Asgore and I loved him unconditionally, and everything was going smoothly for years until one day, a human child who was slightly older than Frisk fell down the hole. Her name was Chara, and she and Frisk shared the same core trait - determination."

 

Olga cut in. "Sorry to interrupt, but... core trait?"

 

"Yes. I'll get deeper into that later."

 

Olga nodded and leaned back in her seat.

 

"Asriel found Chara, and they instantly connected. Asriel took her to the castle and introduced her to us. He refused to let any of us harm her, not that we were planning to do that, anyway. We decided to take Chara in under our wing, and she became a permanent member of our family. She and Asriel were especially close, and were bound at the hip. Where one went, the other followed. They had become as close as real siblings, and referred to each other as such. They were truly family to each other, and never even dreamed to think otherwise. Asgore and I loved Chara as our own as well, not just Asriel. Our family had never been happier." Toriel paused, taking a deep inhale. "One day, Chara fell ill. Fatally ill. None of us knew what it was, even the royal scientists couldn't figure it out. We were desperate. But unlike us, Chara had accepted it. She told us her last wish was to see the golden flowers back home. At her... former home. On the Surface. Sadly, she died before she could see them, but Asriel was bent on carrying out her final wish. So... he absorbed her soul, and gained the power to walk through the barrier. He took her body with him, and laid her down on the bed of flowers she spoke of. But the humans there... when they saw him holding Chara's body... they mistook him for the perpetrator, and attacked him. And Asriel, he... he didn't fight back. He simply took it. With Chara's soul, he could have easily fought them all, but he didn't... He suffered so much, and then..."

 

Toriel's voice cracked, and tears were brimming in her eyes again, but they didn't fall that time. Toriel remained strong.

 

"Asriel came back to us. He escaped from the villagers bloody... bruised... beaten half to death. He barely had time to tell us he loved us before he turned to dust." Olga's horrified eyes flickered down to see that Toriel's hands were shaking, signifying that she was barely able to keep her emotions in check.

 

"We lost two of our children that day. Asgore and I both mourned, but in different ways. Asgore... he changed. He grew distant and cold. That day, he declared that all humans to fall inside the mountain were to be captured and brought to him to be killed so their souls could be contained until the day we had enough to break the barrier. I was... appalled. Horrified... that my husband had the gall to think of such a thing. So I left. I left my throne and decided to reside here, in the Ruins. I began passing through the bed of flowers below the hole every day to see if any new humans had dropped down, and attempted to save them. However, each and every one of them refused to heed my warnings. They all left the Ruins, and they were all killed as a result. I tried so hard... so hard to get them to stay with me, to convince them that it was safer where I was, where I could protect them..."

 

Olga hadn't even realized Toriel had begun crying. Her cracking, raspy voice was a big sign, but the tears were hard to see.

 

"You'd think it stopped there... but no... every one of the humans that fell... was a _child_." A gasp fluttered out from in between Olga's lips and she slapped her hands over her mouth, not anticipating the news. "They were all _children_." Toriel grabbed her arms and bent over herself, her mouth open in a silent, heart-wrenching sob. "And they all _died_. Because I was too much of a _coward_ to block off the exit from the Ruins. Because **I** couldn't protect them, because **I** couldn't keep them safe...-!"

 

Olga was having an internal debate all throughout Toriel's story. Her fists were clenched tightly, shaking, and mirroring Toriel's own hands. She was biting her lip, thinking she could get through it, but at the last crack of Toriel's voice, she lost the battle. Her soul cried out in pain, and she couldn't stop herself from lurching forward and embracing Toriel in a tight hug. It took a while for her to hug back, but when she did, she clung to Olga like a lifeline. The smells of chamomile and the pie Toriel had just baked enveloped Olga like a thick blanket, muffling her senses and almost overwhelming her sense of smell.

 

The two sat there for what felt like an eternity before Toriel's grip on Olga loosened, and said girl pulled away slightly. "Are you feeling better?"

 

The caprine woman nodded hurriedly, her hands coming up to her eyes. "Forgive me, that is the second time. I shouldn't be burdening you with all of my emotional troubles."

 

"It's really not a problem, Toriel. I want to help," Olga's eyes held nothing but the utmost sincerity when she craned her head to look at the mother fly figure she still had her arms around.

 

"Well, I must admit, it feels nice to finally let loose. All those pent up emotions might have been the death of me."

 

Olga inhaled a bit sharply. "Not if I can help it." 

 

Toriel sighed with adoration before letting go of Olga and placing her hands on the girl's shoulder, more softly than she ever had before. "It's getting late, child. It would be best for you to go to bed so we can continue our conversation in the morning."

 

Now that Toriel brought it up, Olga noticed that a wave of fatigue had washed over her, stronger than it had when she was reading the snail book. A wide yawn escaped her lips, making Toriel chuckle. "See? Come."

 

Toriel led Olga back to the bathroom, and opened a cabinet hung on the side of the door. There was toothpaste, toothbrushes, gloss, and all the basic toiletries. Toriel grabbed the tube of toothpaste and a new-looking brush, setting it down on the counter. "Feel free to use these and any other supplies you wish. I hope it doesn't bother you too much to use the brush Frisk used? It's only been used a few times, and has been properly cleaned-"

 

"Don't worry, I'm not obsessed with germs or anything. Thanks, Toriel."

 

The goat woman had learned to trust Olga's judgement, and her moment of hesitation lasted for only a split second. The woman grabbed the old, white gown that Olga left on the lowered toilet lid and the towel she hung on the rack, then made her way out the door. "Wonderful. I shall prepare a nightgown for you."

 

"Alright... wait, you don't have to-!" Toriel was already gone, leaving Olga alone in the bathroom. She gave a heavy sigh, and started brushing her teeth. That wasn't a problem. The true struggle was her hair. A brush sat in the cabinet, looking as if it hadn't been used in a while, so Olga got to work. Tangle after tangle came undone or got ripped out, and soon enough, Olga could run the extra comb through it without coming across any knots. She disposed of the hair in a small waste basket near the toilet and made her way out once everything was neatly put back in place. However, the waste basket left her thinking. What was it there for? Did female monsters get periods? Or experience heat cycles? Oh, God, what if they didn't, and they had no pads and Olga would have to suffer for a week for months on end? The very thought made her cringe, so she made a small note in the back of her head to ask Toriel about it when she woke up tomorrow. 

 

Olga stepped into her new "room" with all the stuffed animals and saw a somewhat frilly, pink nightgown with a floral design spread out on the bed. With a fond smile, she changed into it. Perfect fit. How did Toriel have all the correct sizes? Olga gave the dress a twirl, more energetic than last time, liking the way the thin material brushed against her skin. It was light and loose-fitting; it wasn't too tight anywhere.

 

Olga crawled into bed and let her mind race for a minute. Everything just seemed so... insane. She met a freaking goat woman who was nothing but kind to her, and even baked her a fucking pie. Not to mention, had two mental breakdowns in front of her, and gave her clothes and a shower to borrow. Either she was dead, dreaming, or her life had finally turned for the better ( ~~or she was just high on acid~~ ).

 

A quiet knock sounded on the other side of the door, announcing Toriel's arrival. "Child? May I come in?"

 

"Mhmm!" Olga settled for a loud hum, feeling too worn out to even speak.

 

The door opened, making the tiniest of sounds as it did, and in stepped Toriel. "I take it the nightgown fits nicely, as well?"

 

"It does. I really can't thank you enough," Olga's eyes were half-lidded, and her voice had been reduced to a loud whisper.

 

Toriel dismissed her last comment with a wave of the hand. "Think nothing of it."

 

She came in close, placing a soft kiss on Olga's forehead. "Goodnight, my child. Get some rest."

 

"G'night..." Olga yawned and watched Toriel turn off the lamps and leave the room before turning over on her side and drifting off within seconds.

 

* * *

 

Olga's sleep was dreamless at first. An unfamiliar sense of calm hung over her like a cloud for a while. She slept soundly and deeply until the nightmares kicked in. Screams, both her's and others', started ringing throughout her brain, but that was mediocre for her. It didn't shake her much, if at all. However, when she gained her sight in the dream, Olga began trembling in her sleep. There was blood everywhere again. Her nails and fingers were drenched in it, and drops of the crimson liquid carelessly dropped onto the white padding of the floor. They would never wash out. Neither would the smell. The moment Olga was reminded of the metallic scent, the pungent smell of rotting flesh, blood, and bodily fluids hit her like a truck. She gagged, her body trying to expel air, as her stomach was empty. There was nothing left to vomit.

 

Rough hands were grabbing at her arms and legs, and her frantic thrashes were futile against them. Tears poured steadily down her cheeks, and a violent scream tore through her throat. Olga flew into hysterics, doing anything and everything to escape the holds of her captors. This was new. She hadn't resisted for years.

 

Her lips formed incoherent words, a jumbled array of "please", "don't", "no", "stop". The same phrases. Over and over again. They never worked.

 

In the midst of her tantrum, she drifted in and out of reality, and for a split second, she thought she saw a goat. Ah, she recognized her! Toriel, right? But why was she thinking of her? Wasn't she just a dream? Or maybe... the dream had given her hope to fight back, hope to escape and live on, something worth fighting for. Is that why she was rebelling?

 

After seeing the goat woman, though, Olga's mind slowly eased. It was almost against her will, but it was the one thing she didn't fight. The smell of decay was gone. Her muscles tended for a second before relaxing, and the bruising grip on her arms faded to the soft cushion of a bed. Olga could feel herself drifting to sleep again, and part of her felt like was watching something through a VR - a big, fuzzy screen was in front of her, and she could see the goat woman again. The upper and lower walls of the VR moved away and towards each other before closing completely, and everything was forgotten.

 

* * *

 

 Olga woke up slowly, with her cheeks pressed against the pillow that her arms were wrapped around. She couldn't tell what time it was, but she felt tired, although less than she usually was. It wasn't the sort of tired where she would fall asleep the moment she closed her eyes. It was the sort of tired that affected her mind and made it ache, and filled her with an overwhelming urge to do absolutely nothing but lay in the same place for hours on end. It was so familiar, yet distant. 

 

Another twenty minutes flew by with her trying to fall back asleep, but she soon learned that there was no point, and slowly rose up out of bed. Olga changed back into the dress Toriel had provided for her, and set the folded nightgown neatly on the bed after making it. She trudged back to the bathroom quietly and brushed her teeth and hair, then dragged her feet to the living room. The familiar picture of Toriel sitting in the chair near the fire was displayed before her, summoning a small smile. "Good morning, Toriel."

 

"Ah, hello, child. It's nice to see you up and awake," Toriel shut her book halfway, keeping her thumb on the page she left off of. "Although I'm afraid it hasn't been morning for a while now."

 

"Oh, really?" Olga rubbed her right eye, still drowsy. "I'm sorry... how long did I sleep?"

 

"Sixteen hours."

 

The sleep in her eyes gone, Olga took a step back. "I w-what?!"

 

Toriel offered a reassuring smile. "You slept for sixteen hours, child. But don't worry, I kept a close eye on your soul to make sure nothing else was happening. You were... quite sleep deprived. It seemed cruel to wake you." The monster had averted her eyes for a second, but it didn't look like she was hiding anything. _494/500 HP._

 

"I-... Thank you, Toriel. You're right, I was extremely tired." Olga fumbled around with her hands sheepishly. The thought of having someone else, especially such a kind being like Toriel, look at her soul sent shivers down her spine. Toriel didn't need to see that.

 

"Well, now that you're awake, I have something to give you." Toriel opened the book she was holding for a second, looked down at the page number, and shut it again.

 

"More?!" Olga exclaimed, red rising to her cheeks. What else could Toriel possibly give her?!

 

The woman reached down over the arm of the chair and picked up a small, rectangular, woven basket that hadn't been there before. It held a few balls of yarn and sewing needles, along with some other cloths and materials. Toriel moved some of the cloths away, and somehow, somehow, pulled out an entire sweater. It was a hearty red color, and had one big, forest green heart in the middle.

 

"Oh my God, Tori...!" Olga covered her mouth again, feeling tears of emotion spring to the surface. She hadn't even noticed she didn't use Toriel's full name. "Y-You didn't- why- oh my God," she repeated.

 

Toriel gave Olga a small, sad smile. "When you leave the Ruins, you will immediately step onto the land of Snowdin, and as the name suggests... it has snow. And it's cold. I know humans can be especially fragile to extreme weather, so I wanted you to have this as a warm memento of me when you do leave."

 

Olga rushed forward and hugged Toriel again, this time wrapping her arms around the larger woman's neck. "Oh, thank you! You didn't have to, but really, thank you! Thank you so much, thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ "

 

Toriel patted Olga on the back lovingly and laughed. "It's really not that much. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you being there for me so much in just one day. Take it as my token of appreciation."

 

"You? Appreciate me?! God, Tori, where's your glasses? You have no idea how much _you've_ done for _me!_ " Olga exhaled humorously, not noticing the use of the nickname again until Toriel stiffened under her hold. "O-Oh, I'm sorry, I should've asked for your permission first. I-I won't use that nickname again, I promise."

 

Toriel shook her head and opened her mouth, but whatever she had to say never escaped her mouth, because Olga cut in. "Oh my God, wait! Y-You told me yesterday! Y-You're the Queen of the Underground! Or, you were, but still, I-I must have been so inappropriately and disrespectfully, I-I'm sorry! Y-Your Majesty!"

 

Olga jumped back, releasing Toriel and hanging her head.

 

"Child."

 

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty?!"

 

"Please, stop with the formalities. You know me as Toriel, correct?"

 

Olga nodded.

 

"So please, refer to me that way. Do not bother with the protocol. I didn't much like being called such names in the past, and don't now. And do not worry about the "Tori" thing. Call me that whenever you wish. It doesn't offend me. It simply reminded me of... an old friend. Well, two, now that I think about it."

 

"A..." Olga looked into the crimson eyes of the monster and sent a grin her way. "Alright. Tori. Thank you."

 

Toriel reciprocated the smile with an equal amount of fervor. "You are most certainly welcome, Olga."

 

The rest of the day - or night - passed by relatively quickly. Toriel had given Olga a fruit platter to eat, which she devoured most of in a short matter of time. The two then proceeded to have more of a peaceful time, which consisted of finishing the snail book together, and playing a few card games after Toriel dug out a deck from the room that was "under renovations". Olga had just won another round of Go Fish before the topic of the evening changed.

 

The brunette grinned and kicked her feet out from their criss-cross position on the dining chair as she clapped her hands together and smoothly intertwined her fingers. "That's another win for me, Tori...!"

 

"You seem to be quite adept at this, child. Did you play many of these games back on the Surface?" Toriel looked happy for Olga, but she could tell that the woman was slightly disappointed. The realization made her soul ache. _Maybe I should have let her win that round..._

 

"Y-Yes, actually... I was introduced to many of them as a child..."

 

"Ah, well, let us not dwell on the past for long!" Toriel rose her index finger, quick to change the subject when she noticed the tension in the air. "You were wondering about soul traits last night, were you not?"

 

"Ah, yes, I was!"

 

"Well then, let us begin..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that people might think 16 hours isn't that long, and honestly, it isn't! However, Olga thinks differently, considering how/where she grew up. Just thought I should clear that up!


End file.
